Rakks Shelving and Architectural Specialty Products

Rakks Blog

Rakks Involved in Project by Award-Winning Architect Rafael Moneo

by Rakks | June 29th, 2012

Rakks recently supplied large quantities of inside wall counter supports for the new neuroscience building project at Princeton University. This project has caused some excitement because of its lead architect: world-renowned Spanish architect Rafael Moneo and his architectural firm, José Rafael Moneo Arquitecto.

Moneo, currently a lecturer and the first Josep Lluis Sert Professor in Architecture at Harvard University, is known for his avant-garde designs. In 1996 he won the Pritzker Prize for architecture, which according to the prize’s website is awarded to a living architect “whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.”

This year, Moneo was announced as the winner of the prestigious Prince of Asturias (Principe de Asturias) Award for the Arts – an award bestowed to an individual, institution or group whose work in Cinematography, Theatre, Dance, Music, Photography, Painting, Sculpture or Architecture constitutes a significant contribution to Mankind’s culture heritage. He is the fifth architect to receive the award.

Moneo signed on to design buildings for both the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Psychology. According to Princeton Executive Vice President Mark Burstein, Moneo was a perfect fit: “Moneo is very thoughtful and analytical in his approach as an architect…[his] strength is in understanding the context of a site and designing structures to be successful within that context.”

Some of Moneo’s former notable projects include:

Villahermosa Palace (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum) in Madrid

Prado Museum in Madrid

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

In this Princeton news release, it is explained that the new neuroscience building “will bridge many disciplines, including psychology, and take an innovative approach to studying the brain and nervous system.”

Rakks was specified for the project by the architectural firm Davis Brody Bond. They are based in New York City with offices in Washington, DC. and Sao Paulo, Brazil, and most notably were one of the firms involved in the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

Rakks brackets were installed to give support to the many counters and worksurfaces throughout the neuroscience building. The drawing below shows one example of how our EH-1824FM brackets are being used in the project. (Please click for magnified view)

SEARCH

links

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Our new low profile aluminum shelf floats like a butterfly and demonstrates impressive strength with it's ability to hold weight of up to 25 pounds per linear foot. Extending 8 1/2" from the wall, it allows for dramatic design applications and also provides plenty of storage space.